Rotary fluid brake



June 22, 1954 R. B. CHAMBERS 2,681,713

ROTARY FLUID BRAKE Filed Sept. 7, 1.951

3 Sheets-Sheet l F/G. .z.

INVENTOR E0850? 5. CI/JMBEDQSI X9 ATTORNEY-S June 22, 1954 R. B. CHAMBERS 2,681,713

ROTARY FLUID BRAKE Filed Sept. 7, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR P055197 3 CHAMBEES,

BY I 7zspzmazmemz mm/x2021 ATTORNEYS.

June 22, 1954 R. B. CHAMBERS 2,681,713 ROTARY FLUID BRAKE Filed Sept. 7, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 0086GT 5. CAM/V8598,

Patented June 22, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROTARY FLUID BRAKE Robert B. Chambers, Lander, Wyo. Application September 7, 1951, Serial No. 245,590

1 Claim.

This invention relates to rotary fluid brakes and more particularly to a hydraulic pump type brake to be installed on burden vehicles in addition to the usual wheel brakes to provide braking action on long downgrades and relieve the wheel brakes of excessive wear and overheating.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved hydraulic pump or torque brake which can be mounted on a vehicle and connected directly to the vehicle drive shaft to assist the vehicle engine in reducing the speed or preventing undesirable increase in the speed of the vehicle over long intervals of braking action, as when the vehicle is travelling by gravity along a long downgrade or its speed is being gradually reduced from a very high operating speed; which utilizes fluid friction exclusively to provide the braking action and provides means for rapidly removing the friction generated heat from the operating fluid; which provides a reserve supply of liquid to insure the availability of ample quantities of liquid for its braking operation; which returns substantially all used liquid to the reserve supply and is not subject to material leakage; which maintains the operating pressure of the working fluid below a predetermined value at all times to avoid locking of the vehicle drive mechanism or damage to the brake parts; which provides a sensitive control of the braking action by the driver of the vehicle; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture and install, and positive and effective in operation.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an automotive vehicle, a portion being broken away and shown in cross section to illustrate the application of a hydraulic torque brake illustrative of the invention thereto;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on a further enlarged scale on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure l is a cross sectional View on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a clutch disc constituting an operative component of the brake; and

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

With continued reference to the drawings, the vehicle illustrated by way of example in Figure l is a semitrailer type of burden vehicle including a tractor unit A and a semitrailer unit B connected at its front end to the rear end of the tractor unit and propelled by the latter.

The tractor unit includes a frame I 0 supported by rear drive wheels I l and front steering wheels 12 and carrying a cab 13 and hood Hi enclosing the usual engine, not illustrated. The brake, generally indicated at E5, is suspended from the frame it between the cab and the rear drive wheels H and a drive shaft It connects the engine, through the usual change speed transmission, to the front end of the brake 45, while a drive shaft l i connects the rear end of the brake to the rear drive wheels I I through the usual differential and drive axle mechanism, not illustrated.

With this arrangement, the brake shaft it constitutes a torque coupling between the front drive shaft 16 and the rear drive shaft H and is driven at all times that the vehicle is in motion. It is connected to the drive shafts I6 and H by suitable universal joint connections [9 and 20, respectively.

The brake, itself, comprises a vane type hydraulic, pump and includes an annular housing 21 having end plates 22 and 23 of generally circular shape disposed in face to face relationship and held in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship to each other by a circular ring 24 disposed between the outer circumferential portions of the end plates. Suitable means, such as the bolts 25 extending through the end plates at angularly spaced apart locations around the outer edges of these plates and through the annular ring 2 3 secure the end plates and the ring together in operative assembly.

The front end plate 22 is provided with a concentrically disposed outward projection 28 of circular shape providing a fluid receiving chainber 21 therein. The wall of the projection 26 is provided with a central aperture 28 surrounded by a circular boss 25 which is grooved around the aperture to receive an annular grease seal 30 and the shaft It extends at its front end through the aperture 28 in the front end wall of the housing. A bearing receptacle 31 is se cured to the end wall 22 surrounding the opening 28 by suitable means, such as the cap screws or bolts 32, and an antifriction roller bearing 33 is mounted in the receptacle 3| and journals the shaft [8 relative to the front end wall of the housing. At its front end the shaft I3 is provided with a splined portion 1-34 which provides a driving connection between the front end of the outer ends in contact ceive a grease seal 38 surrounding the shaft. A'

hearing receptacle 39 is secured on the rear end wall 23 by suitable means, such as the cap screws or bolts it, and receives an antifriction roller hearing it which journals the shaft is in the rear end wall of the housing. At its rear end the shaft is provided with a splined portion t2 which provides a driving connection between the shaft and the rear universal joint 2E3, illustrated in Figure 1.

The shaft i8 is provided. within the pump chamber with a splined portion fill and a rotor, generally indicated at A5, is disposed within the 1 pump chamber and mounted on the splined portion of the shaft.

The rotor is of'cylindrical shape and ha radially disposed slots, as indicated at its, 4th, liic and in Figure 4, extending from the surface of the shaft it to the peripheral surface of the rotor.

The slots have a Width less than the width of ti e rotor and the rotor may be conveniently constructed by providing two circular discs it and disposed in spaced apart and substantially parallel rel nonship, and a filler body Q9 of circular shape asposed between the discs and in which the slots ii} are provided. The discs and the filler body may be secured together by suitable means, such as rivets extending through registering apertures in the two discs the filler body. The rotor may also be provided as a solid 7 body hav ng a central aperture and vane slots provided therein by a suitable operation, such as broaching.

V The end wail Era of the housing is provided around the inner circumference of the ofiset 2% with annular internal recess its: in which the plate or portion d? of the rotor is marginally received 'anu the rear end wall 23 is provided around the inner circumference of the offset 35 with an internal annular recess t l inwhich the disc or portions of the rotor is marginally receit particularly illustrated in Figure 3.

The shaftiii and the rotor A5 are journaled in the housing eccentrically of the cylindrical pump chamber and the rotor contacts the peripheral surface of the pump chamber at one location around the surface of the chamber, as indicated at 5i in Figure 4.

Vanes of rectangular cross sectional shape and respectively designated at 52a, 52b, 52c and bid in Figure i, are slidably'mounted in the slots itia, lth, t ts, and 36d, respectively, and are longitudinally movable in the slots to maintain their the peripheral sur face of the pump chamber as constituted by the inner surface of the ring 25-. i Openings and 5d extend diametrically of the splined portion it of the shaft i8 substantiailyperpendicular to each other and at locations spaced aparJ longitudinally of the shaft and coil compression springs 55 and 56 are respectively disposed in these openings and are received at their ends in socket recesses provided in the inner endslof the corresponding vanes. These springs resiliently urge the vanes outwardly of the corresponding slots to bring the outer ends of the vanes into bearing contact with the inner surface of the ring 24 which constitutes the circumferential wall of the cylindrical pump chamber.

Fluid inlet passages 5'! are provided in the end wall 22 of the housing at one side of the location 5! at which the rotor contacts the inner surface of the ring 24, and fluid outlet passages 58 are disposed in the end wall 23 at the opposite side of the location at which the rotor contacts the circumferential wall of the pump chamber.

A fluid inlet conduit 59 is connected at one end to the inlet passages 5i and a fluid outlet conduit 6G is connected at one end to the fluid outlet passages 58. a

The mechanism so far described constitutes a vane type liquid pump which will pump fluid from the inlet conduit 58 into the pump and out of the pump through the outlet conduit 85.

Each vane is provided with a fiuid'passage 5i which leads from the pressure side of the vane near the outer end thereof into thespring receiving recess in the inner end of the vane for admitting fluid under pressure into the vane receiving slots between the inner ends of these slots and the inner ends of the corresponding vanes. This fluid under pressure in the inner ends of the slots assist the springs 55 and 5c in resiliently urging the vanes outwardly of the rotor slots, this effort being additionallyassisted by the action of centrifugal force on the vanes when the rotor turns. Each vane is provided in its inner end with a second recess 62 and radial pins or projections t3 are provided on the splined portion 4% of the shaft in position to extend respectively into the recesses 62 in the several vanes when the vanes are forced inwardly of the rotor as they approach the location 5% at which the rotor peripherally contacts the inner annular surface of the pump chamber. Liquid in the inner ends of the vane receiving slots is trapped in the recesses t2 as the pins 53 are forced into these recesses and provides a cushioning effect for inward movements of the vanes, so that the vanes do not strike the shaft if or the inner ends of the slots with sufficient force to produce noise and vibration.

The outer ends of the passages 5% are disposed inwardly of the outer ends of the vanes a'distance such that'the outer ends of the passages are masked in the vane slots in the rotor as the vanes pass the inlet. ports 5'? endless offiuid. pressure through these passages is thus avoided:

From an inspection of Figure 4, it will be observed that as the rotor 45 turns in the housing 2!, the vanes constantly slide inand out in the corresponding slots in the rotor, being at their inner limiting positions with their outer ends substantially flush with the peripheralsurface of the rotor'when they are at the location 5: at which the rotor peripherally contacts the circumferential surface of the pump chamber and being at their outer limiting position when they are at a position diametrically opposite the position 5! in the pump chamber.

A clutch disc 65 is disposed in the clutch chamber 36 and has a cylindrical hub '56 slidably mounted on the'shaft l8, but drivin gly connected to the shaft by suitable means,'su c h as the key 61 ure n t hah a d the y ay fiiin ov ded in the hub and slidably receiving the key. This clutch disc carries pins 19, individually designated at 19a, 19b, 19c, and 1901 in Figure 5, which extend from the clutch disc toward the rotor 45 at angularly spaced apart locations corresponding to the angular spacing of the vanes 52. The plate 43 is provided with apertures 1I disposed one in alignment with each pin 19 and each vane is provided with a recess 12 opening to the edge thereof adjacent the clutch chamber, and of a size to receive the pins 19.

The pins 19 are of different lengths, successively decreasing in length in one direction of rotation around the associated clutch disc and the apertures 1 I, recesses 12 and pins 19 are radially spaced from the axis of rotation of the shaft I8, so that as each vane reaches the location its recess registers with the aperture H in the rotor plate 49 and with a pin 19 on the clutch disc 95. The clutch hub 66 is provided with an angular groove 13 receiving a split fork 14 and a manually operated lever 15 is pivotally mounted in the annular wall of the ofiset 36 by a shaft 15 and is pivotally connected to the fork 14 for moving the clutch disc 65 toward and away from the rotor 95.

When the clutch disc is manually moved toward the rotor, the pins 19 are successively received in the recesses 12 in the vanes as the vanes are brought to their inner limiting positions at the location 5! and the pins then lock the vanes in their inner positions and out of contact with the peripheral surface of the pump chamber except at the one location 5 I.

This operation completely disables the pump and the rotor with its locked vanes will now rotate freely in the pump chamber and produce no retarding effect on the rotation of the shaft I 8.

Fluid passages, as indicated at 11, lead from the openings 53 and 59 in the shaft to the surface of the shaft at a location at which their ends remote from the openings 53 and 54 are closed by the hub 66 of the clutch disc when the clutch disc is in position to maintain the pins 19 out of engagement with the vanes 52, as illustrated in Figure 3, and are uncovered when the clutch disc is moved to engage the pins in the vane recesses, so that the pressure of the hydraulic fluid in the inner ends of the slots is relieved and does not operate to urge the vanes outwardly of the rotor when they are locked in their inner limiting positions by the pins on the clutch disc.

A tank 19 constituting a liquid reservoir is mounted at a convenient location on the vehicle and is connected at its bottom to the end of the inlet conduit 59 remote from the brake housing 2! to supply liquid to the inlet side of thepump.

A manually controlled, fluid pressure operated relief valve, generallyindicated at 19, is connected at its inlet to the end of the outlet conduit 99 remote from the housing 2 I, and the outlet of this valve is connected by a conduit 89 to the inlet end of a heat exchanger 8|, the outlet end of which is connected to the tank 19 by a conduit 92.

With this arrangement, when the pump is operating, fluid is pumped from the reservoir 19 through the pump and the relief valve 19 and from the relief valve through the conduit 89, the heat exchanger 9| and the conduit 82 back into the reservoir, so that the liquid moves in a closed cycle, the friction generated heat in the liquid being removed as the liquid passes through the heat exchanger 8I.

A conduit 83 is connected atone end to the iii;

interior of the clutch chamber 36 and at its other end to the reservoir 18 to conduct any liquid draining into the clutch chamber around the rotor or through the apertures 1| or channels 11 back to the reservoir 18, and a similar conduit may be connected from the chamber 21 back to the reservoir, if desired.

A bracket 89 is secured to the housing 2| at the upper side of the housing and to the frame I9 of the vehicle, to rigidly support the brake mechanism on the vehicle frame, and a lever 85 is connected at one end to one end of the shaft 15 to provide means for manually imparting movement to the fork lever 15 to move the clutch pins into and out of engagement with the pump vanes.

The relief valve 19, as is particularly illustrated in Figure 6, comprises a cylindrical valve body 8t secured at one end to an end wall 91 by suitable means, such as the bolts 88 extending through registering apertures in a flange 99 at the corr sponding end of the valve body and in the marginal portion of the end wall 81. The end wall 81 is provided with a centrally disposed opening surrounded by a beveled valve seat 99 and an elbow fitting 9! is joined at one end to the end wall 81 surrounding the annular valve seat 99 and is joined at its other end to the pump outlet conduit 99.

A piston 92 is slidably mounted in. the valve body 99 and a stem 93 extends from this piston toward the valve seat 99 and carries a beveled valve head 99 on its end remote from the piston. The valve head cooperates with the valve seat 99 to control the passage of liquid from the pump outlet conduit 69 through the relief valve to the exhaust conduit 99 of the valve.

At its end remote from the end wall 91 the valve body 89 is provided with a thick end wall 95 and a coiled compression spring 96 is disposed in the valve body between the end wall 95 and the adja cent end of the piston 92 to resiliently urge the valve head 99 toward the valve seat 99.

A bypass conduit 91 leads from the pump outlet conduit 69 to the interior of the valve body 96 at a location between the piston 92 and the end wall 95, this conduit leading into the valve chamber within the valve body through a restricted orifice 99 in the wall of the valve body.

A control valve chamber 99 is provided in the end wall 95 and is of cylindrical shape opening at one end to the circumferential surface of the end wall and having a valve seat 199 at its other end connected by a fluid passage I! with the interior of the valve body 96 at the inner side of the end wall 95.

A screw plug I92 is threaded into the outer end of the valve chamber 99 and has a central aperture extending therethrough and a stem I93 extends slidably through the aperture in the screw plug and carries a piston I94 on its end within the valve chamber 99-.

A valve ball I95 is disposed adjacent the valve seat I99 and a compression spring I96 is interposed between the valve ball I95 and the piston I94.

A manually operated lever I91 is pivotally mounted intermediate its length on the valve body 99 by an apertured lug I99 and a pivot pin I99 extending through registering apertures in the lever and the lug and this lever has one end disposed opposite the outer end of the stem I93. The stem I93 is provided with a screw threaded bore and a screw 9 is threaded into this bore and bears at its outer end against the adjacent end of the lever I91 to provide an adjustable connection between the lever and the valve stem.

Suitable means, such as a flexible push and pull device, not illustrated, is connected to the other end of the lever I01, so that the spring 105 can be manually loaded to various selected degrees to vary the spring strength tending to seat the valve ball 105.

An exhaust bypass conduit lH leads from the valve chamber 99 to the vent or exhaust conduit 80 of the valve 19 to vent fluid passing the valve ball 105 from the valve chamber 99.

With this arrangement, fluid under pressure from the pump flows through the bypass conduit 97 from the pump outlet conduit 60 into the relief valve body 86 between the piston 92 and the end wall 95 and forces the valve head 94 toward the seat 00, thus restricting the outlet of the pump brake and causing the pump to absorb energy from the drive shaftof the vehicle, retarding the rotation of the drive shaft and the forward motion of the vehicle. The pressure of the fluid in the valve body between the piston 92 and the end wall 95 of the valve body is controlled by the pressure of the spring I06 on the valve ball I05 and is varied by the manually operated lever 101, so that the driver of the vehicle can regulate the amount of energy which the hydraulic torque brake absorbs from the vehicle drive shaft and converts into heat through fluid friction. The compression of the spring I06 by the lever 107 is limited, however, so that the valve ball 105 can always move off of its seat when a predetermined fluid pressure in the passage [0| exists, thereby insuring that the fluid pressure in the brake and the relief valve will not, at any time, exceed the mechanical strength of the parts and cause damage to the mechanism.

With this arrangement, when the vanes are locked in their inner limiting positions by the pins on the clutch disc, the rotor with its included vanes rotates freely in the housing and no pumping or braking action is produced. When the vanes are released, the rotor and vanes pump liquid from the inlet conduit to the outlet conduit through the relief valve and the outlet pressure of the liquid is controlled by the manually operated control valve actuated by the lever 101, so that the driver has a sensitive control over 7 the braking action of the hydraulic torque brake.

As the heat generated in the liquid by the braking action is removed by the heat exchanger 8|, the brake can operate for an indefinite period without overheating and, since all of the braking is done by fluid friction, there is no material wear of the parts.

It is contemplated that the vehicle will be equipped with the usual wheel brake for stopping and for short period braking operations and that the hydraulic torque brake of the present invention will be used mainly for long period braking operations which would cause excessive wear and overheating of the usual wheel brake.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Ihe present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

A liquid brake assembly comprising a housing having a cylindrical pump chamber therein and a clutch chamber disposed to one side of said pump chamber, a shaft journalled in said housing and extending through said clutch chamber and said pump chamber eccentrically of the latter, a rotor of cylindrical shape concentrically mounted on said shaft within said pump chamber and contactingthe peripheral surface of said pump chamber at one location therearound, said rotor having radially disposed slots extending to the periphery thereof at substantially equal angular intervals therearound and said housing having fluid inlet and outlet passages therein disposed at the respectively opposite sides of the location of contact between said pump chamber and said rotor, vanes slidably mounted one in each of said slots, springs in said rotor engaging the inner ends of said vanes and urging the outer ends thereof into contact with the peripheral surface of said pump chamber and together with said rotor constituting a fluid pump, each of said vanes having a recess in the edge thereof adjacent said clutch chamber and said rotor having apertures in the portion thereof adjacent said clutch chamber which apertures register respectively with the recesses in said vanes when the vanes are at their inner limiting positions relative to said rotor, a clutch disc slidably mounted on said shaft within said clutch chamber and drivingly connected to the shaft, pins on said clutch disc extending through the apertures in said rotor and into the recesses in said vanes when said clutch disc is moved toward said pump chamber to hold said vanes in their inner limiting positions and thereby disable said pump, manually operated means connected to said clutch disc for moving said pins into and out of engagement with said vanes, said vanes having fluid passages therein admitting fluid under pressure from the outlet side of said pump into said slots at the inner ends of said vanes to assist said springs in urging said vanes outwardly of said rotor and said shaft having fluid passages therein leading from the inner ends of said slots to the exterior of said shaft at a location atwhich they are closed by said clutch disc when the latter is in vane releasing position and opened when the clutch disc is in vane engaging position.

References cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain 1925 

